Marriage-Its Origin and Purpose

MARRIAGE IS A PART OF JEHOVAH'S PURPOSE

Adam was delighted with his wife, whom he later named Eve.  She was his compliment and helper. Together, Adam and Eve would be happy as husband and wife. (Genesis 2:18.) An important purpose of marriage was to populate the earth.  (Genesis 1:28)  Sons and daughters would love their parents but would eventually leave to get married and start their own families. Humams would fill the earth and make the whole globe a paradise.

The first marriage was ruined when Adam and Eve disobeyed Jehovah.  "The original serpent," Satan the Devil, deceived Eve and told her that eating the fruit from "the tree of the knowledge of good and bad"  would give her special knowledge.  Satan claimed that if she ate from the tree, it would allow her to decide what was good and what was bad.  Eve did not show respect for Adam as the head of the family when she decided to eat the fruit without talking to him first. And Adam disobeyed God when he accepted the fruit from his wife. -Revelation 12:9; Genesis 2:9, 16,  17; 3:1-6. 

When Jehovah questioned them, Adam blamed his wife. He said:  "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me the fruit from the tree, so I ate."  Even, in turned blamed the serpent for deceiving her. (Genesis 3:12, 13)  Adam and Eve gave weak excuses for their disobedience, and Jehovah judged  those rebels. Indeed, their example is a warning for us!  For marriage to succeed, husbands and wives need to obey Jehovah and take responsibility for their own actions. 

Despite what Satan did in Eden, Jehovah made sure that mankind had a hope for the future.  This hope is found in the Bible prophecy (Read Genesis 3:15.)  That prophecy revealed that Satan would be crushed by the "offspring "  of "the woman." The many religious spirit creatures serving in heaven have a close relationship with God. They are like a wife to Jehovah.  He would send someone from that group of spirit creatures to "crush" the Devil.  The offspring would make it possible for obedient humans to enjoy what the first human couple lost. Obedient mankind would have the opportunity to live forever on the earth, just as Jehovah has purposed. -John 3:16. 

Adam and Eve's rebellion badly affected their marriage and all marriages after that.  For example, Eve and all her female descendants would have severe pain during childbirth. Women would have a deep desire for their husbands, but husbands would dominate their wives, sometimes, even abusing them as we see today.  (Genesis 3:16) Jehovah expects to bet loving family heads, and he expects wives to be submissive to their husbands.  (Ephesians 5:33) When Christian mates work together, many problems can be eliminated. 

Next time: Marriage-Its Origin and Purpose/MARRIAGE FROM THE TIME OF ADAM TO THE FLOOD

From The Watchtower magazine